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Science and Belief: the Big Issues Biblical Inspiration from the Time of the Council of Trent (1540’S) to Vatican II in 1962 Are Also Briefly Stannard, R

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Science and Belief: the Big Issues Biblical Inspiration from the Time of the Council of Trent (1540’S) to Vatican II in 1962 Are Also Briefly Stannard, R Reflections, Impressions & Experiences Changes in the Roman Catholic understanding of Science and belief: The big issues biblical inspiration from the time of the Council of Trent (1540’s) to Vatican II in 1962 are also briefly Stannard, R. (2012). Lion Hudson, Oxford. outlined. The point of this chapter is to show, in the author’s opinion, that Genesis and Evolution are not on a collision course if properly understood. Kevin de Berg The Intelligent Design (ID) chapter amounts largely to a discussion of the arguments for and Associate Professor, School of Science and against evolution. While suggesting that ID is Mathematics, Avondale College of Higher Education, Cooranbong, NSW essentially a “God of the Gaps” type of argument, Stannard claims that, “ID is at least a step on the way towards acknowledging that evolution has The subject of this book originally appeared taken place”. While some ID adherents might as a twelve-episode series for the BBC. The agree, others would disagree with this statement. author, Russell Stannard, is a physicist and Some common misconceptions of evolution such licensed lay minister in the Church of England as the wholly unpredictable nature of evolution who, although finding no conflict between are discussed in terms of the emergence of science and belief himself, allows the reader complexity by a process known as ‘convergence’ to make up their own mind after a stimulating which seems to be endemic to evolution. The discussion of the questions raised. author acknowledges the basic unfairness associated with evolutionary process, but also There are eight major issues raised in the book— recognises that “the deep mystery of premature that relating to Genesis and Evolution, Intelligent death, and indeed the other manifestations of Design, Morality, Creation, Anthropic Principle, life being unfair, has always been with us”. In this Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Psychology, and regard, an interesting observation is made that Miracles. Broadly speaking the author’s approach there appears to be an “indissoluble link between is one that demonstrates an intimate knowledge love and suffering…an example set by God of modern physics, which is not surprising, and himself”. The chapter concludes by pondering one that is prepared to accept the major tenets on the spiritual nature of human beings. Did of evolutionary theory. In fact the impression this emerge through a process of evolution like is left with the reader that scientific theory and that supposed to have occurred for our physical practice can provide insight into Christian belief. nature? Or was some other process involved? Conservative Christians may find the book rather Here are some commonly held opinions on challenging from this perspective but the book the question of morality that the author uses to does now represent the orientation of a significant begin a discussion of the topic: proportion of the Christian church to the question Opinion 1: Our sense of morality comes from of science and belief. However, regardless of God. one’s particular profession of belief, the book Opinion 2: Morality comes from society and our provides valuable information for contemplation. parents and it’s ridiculous to say that The chapter on Genesis and Evolution focuses if you’re not religious then you can’t on how a large proportion of biblical scholarship be moral. understands the language of Genesis. The author Opinion 3: I think the sole reason that humans introduces the reader to the concept of ‘myth’ in a behave altruistically is because it’s positive sense, to the concept of story or narrative, an evolutionary advantage. to the difference between the ‘how-type’ and Opinion 4: I think that science has nothing to the ‘why-type’ questions, and to some historical do with morality. If it wasn’t given information that links the literal interpretation morality from religion then humanity of Genesis with the Protestant Reformation. would have no limits. 62 | TEACH | v7 n1 Reflections, Impressions & Experiences Stannard proposes that the Genesis as sustainer coupled with God as the source. account and the evolutionary account of human Stannard puts it nicely this way: “If God is to beginnings both point to the inherent selfishness create a physical world—a block universe of the human character. “Thus Genesis sets the in which all instants of time are on an equal scene for all that is to follow: namely our need footing—why should he take a particular interest to repent and, by an act of the conscious will, in the instant marking one end of the worldlines— re-centre our lives on God. But being naturally namely that representing the Big Bang? It could selfish is the same sort of conclusion one comes be argued that that instant is no more significant to from evolutionary theory. Far from discrediting than any other. It has to be the whole ensemble, the Adam and Eve story, in this respect at least, or nothing. It is in this sense we say that God evolution serves to throw fresh light on an ancient is the answer to the question of why there is insight into the intrinsic nature of the human something rather than nothing, and how the character”. Altruism is discussed from the point world is sustained in existence”. The discussion of view of reciprocal altruism or enlightened self- on time includes the role of consciousness, and interest and altruism on behalf of close kin, that the meaning of ‘transcendence’ as opposed to is, on behalf of those who share the same genetic ‘immanence’. God is both transcendent, out of or material. The author then challenges us to think beyond space-time, and he is immanent or within about a higher form of altruism such as helping space-time. Finally the author sees no problem those who are not of close kin and who cannot for Christian belief if our universe is shown to be pay you back, that is, where there is neither a part of a multiverse. The lack of a beginning or genetic advantage nor a self-interest advantage. origin to the multiverse would not impinge at all, The question is then asked: “Is this where religion according to the author, on the creation question. comes in?” The Anthropic Principle deals with the Creation is discussed in the light of modern interesting situation where the physical and cosmological ideas. This chapter gives the reader chemical properties of the universe appear to some interesting insights. If space-time originated be just right for the emergence of life. Stannard at the Big Bang an interesting scenario arises as chooses to discuss eleven of these properties, to the question about the cause of the Big Bang. including the fortuitous occurrence of the nuclear Stannard expresses the scenario this way: “Now, resonance that facilitated the formation of carbon, for those seeking a cause of the Big Bang, this and while they do not prove the existence of raises a problem. As we have seen, cause is God, “the idea that God designed the universe followed by effect. But where the Big Bang was primarily as a home for life is certainly one concerned, there was no before. Thus we cannot possibility”. The book points out that physically have a “cause”. Although the question, “What we are insignificant. Our death has no effect on caused the Big Bang?” strikes us as a perfectly the Sun but the Sun’s death would have a major reasonable thing to ask, it is not. Our line of impact on us. The author concludes, however, argument appears to lead to the conclusion that that, “once we bring to mind the whole question the question is meaningless”. of consciousness, that surely alters the situation. Stannard distinguishes between the words Recall the words of Blaise Pascal: Man is the “origin” and “creation” in attempting to understand feeblest reed in existence, but he is a thinking God’s part in what came to be. “Origin” has reed…though the universe were to destroy to do with the methodologies and discoveries him, man would know that he was dying. While of science in relation to how things came into the universe would know nothing of its own existence. “Creation”, the province of theology, achievement”. is concerned with the question, “Why is there The chapter on Extraterrestrial Intelligence something rather than nothing?”, and this has (ETI) is an interesting one as it is not commonly to do with the past as well as the present. featured in books on science and belief to my The question of creation has to do with God knowledge. The position is taken that, “faced v7 n1 | TEACH | 63 Reflections, Impressions & Experiences with the knowledge we now have of the mind- intellectually honest position is to fully embrace bogglingly vast number of different habitable everything that both science and religion are locations there are in the universe…it is trying to teach us. This in turn means we have to more likely that ETI does indeed exist”. Many examine how the two domains of understanding conjectures are drawn about how beings of relate to each other”. ETI might relate to God. For example, what The paperback edition is 176 pages in length. would be the significance of Christ’s death and Each chapter begins with a small collection of resurrection for such beings? Equally unusual, statements on the topic made by a diverse group but nonetheless informative, is a chapter on of individuals and each chapter concludes with psychology. This chapter examines the notion a small number of probing questions. While that everyone has within them a religious drive the book appears to have been written as a and the author discusses at some length the response to the atheistic orientation of the books concepts of free will and determinism.
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